... but why would the NBA be so eager for the Mavs to win this series? Many of you believe that the officiating in Game 3 was driven by the league's desire to see the Mavs win.

It seems to me that the Spurs are just about the best ambassadors the league has. You never hear about them being involved in criminal problems, internal fighting, poor fan relations, or any of the other issues the league has. The NBA would be crazy to want to push a team with such a great image off the throne. And on the Mavs side, I hardly think David Stern would enjoy presenting Mark Cuban with the trophy.

... but why would the NBA be so eager for the Mavs to win this series? Many of you believe that the officiating in Game 3 was driven by the league's desire to see the Mavs win.

It seems to me that the Spurs are just about the best ambassadors the league has. You never hear about them being involved in criminal problems, internal fighting, poor fan relations, or any of the other issues the league has. The NBA would be crazy to want to push a team with such a great image off the throne. And on the Mavs side, I hardly think David Stern would enjoy presenting Mark Cuban with the trophy.

So please tell me why the NBA wants the Spurs to lose.

PS--I am not being a smartass; this is a sincere question.

I agree, and I don't think it's a anti-Spur thing. It's just a fecal officiating thing.

"When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at this rock perhaps 100 times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the 101st blow, it will split in two and I know it was not that blow that did it. But all that had gone before." - Jacob Riis

... but why would the NBA be so eager for the Mavs to win this series? Many of you believe that the officiating in Game 3 was driven by the league's desire to see the Mavs win.

It seems to me that the Spurs are just about the best ambassadors the league has. You never hear about them being involved in criminal problems, internal fighting, poor fan relations, or any of the other issues the league has. The NBA would be crazy to want to push a team with such a great image off the throne. And on the Mavs side, I hardly think David Stern would enjoy presenting Mark Cuban with the trophy.

"I know there's a lot of pressure on the refs when they come here, because Mark has them review the tapes and send them into the league," Jackson said. "And these guys are nervous Nellies when they come in to referee in this building. But they have to do a better job than they're doing. That's not acceptable."

I myself never buys the rating story or any other conspiracy theory regarding officials. They just suck so bad sometimes they only make 1 team pay for their mistakes instead of averaging out. Some officials think they're bigger than the game.

There is no conspiracy. Many Mavs fans felt the same way Spurs fans currently feel during the 2003 Spurs-Mavs series. After a Game 1 victory for the Mavs and scrutiny about 50 FTs that the Mavs had (even though the Spurs attempted 48), Dirk Nowitzki was called for 3 questionable calls 8 minutes into Game 2. Don Nelson was ejected in the first quarter for looking at Joey Crawford the wrong way, and apparently (according to Crawford) Del Harris asked to be ejected in the second quarter. The Spurs ended up attempting 45 FTs in that game compared to 22 for the Mavs.
After the game Dirk simply replied "They came out way more aggressive than we did and that's why they got the calls." At the time, Mavs fans felt like the entire NBA was against them, but now you would be hard-pressed to find a Mavs fan that still believes the Mavs were really the better team, that only lost because of poor officiating.

There is no conspiracy. Many Mavs fans felt the same way Spurs fans currently feel during the 2003 Spurs-Mavs series. After a Game 1 victory for the Mavs and scrutiny about 50 FTs that the Mavs had (even though the Spurs attempted 48), Dirk Nowitzki was called for 3 questionable calls 8 minutes into Game 2. Don Nelson was ejected in the first quarter for looking at Joey Crawford the wrong way, and apparently (according to Crawford) Del Harris asked to be ejected in the second quarter. The Spurs ended up attempting 45 FTs in that game compared to 22 for the Mavs.
After the game Dirk simply replied "They came out way more aggressive than we did and that's why they got the calls." At the time, Mavs fans felt like the entire NBA was against them, but now you would be hard-pressed to find a Mavs fan that still believes the Mavs were really the better team, that only lost because of poor officiating.

great observation man, i was complaining about the refs for the rest of that series, but looking back on it, i know the spurs were better.
and now i realize that *****in about calls is pointless anyways. games are decided by whoever can impose their will (gameplan or whatever else) on their opponent. if the spurs cant stop the mavs from doing what they want to then the spurs are done.(in 7, maybe)

great observation man, i was complaining about the refs for the rest of that series, but looking back on it, i know the spurs were better.
and now i realize that *****in about calls is pointless anyways. games are decided by whoever can impose their will (gameplan or whatever else) on their opponent. if the spurs cant stop the mavs from doing what they want to then the spurs are done.(in 7, maybe)

In 2003 the mavs didn't know what the word "defense" meant and played Nellie ball. Of course they weren't going to get the calls. They were a jump shooting team with Bradley and LaFrenz as their big men. The Spurs were the aggressors. There is no way you can say the officiating then was one sided. It has a lot to do with how you play the game.

As for today, the refs did affect the outcome of the game. Bad calls are bad calls. But bad calls late in the 4th quarter of a close game affect the outcome of the game. Could the Spurs have played better? yes. Could they have made more free throws? yes. But the SPurs were up late in the 4th and the refs kept bailing out the mavs with foul calls. It is hard to win a game when it is 8 on 5.

BTW, Cuban would never receive a trophy because dallas is fodder for a team like Detroit. The Spurs are the only team capable of beating the Pistons.

__________________It is what it is -- Bruce BowenWhen everyone thinks alike, no one thinks.-- Bill Walton

... but why would the NBA be so eager for the Mavs to win this series? ..............

So please tell me why the NBA wants the Spurs to lose.

PS--I am not being a smartass; this is a sincere question.

Let me take a crack at answering this question by what I see that is going on.
I am niether, trying to be a smartass.

Explain to me why the whole freakin' media were on the Artest bandwagon????? the "badest of bad boys" and the worst, from the NBA's standpoint---as an individual---to be raised to a freakin' pedistal as a HERO and SAVIOR for the Kings and

the reason they would unseed the World Champs-----SPURS.

Explain to me how in game 1, the bs of a media ----continuously states that the SPURS stole game 1 and that the series, at this point, should be 3-0----in favor of the mavericks???

Explain to me ----- how in game 2 we get the short end of the officiating and we're the home team?????-----horribly officiated game.

Explain to me how Reggie Miller continuously dissed the SPURS and the fouls that went againsts the mavericks throughout tuesday nite's broadcast????? ----made Reggie look silly, childish and totally biased.

Explain to me how in yesterdays broadcast------hubie and his sidekick -----who just needed pom poms and lipstick to be dallas cheerleaders ------talked to no end about the maverick players and, at nuaseium, hubie repeated "Oh no...." as the spurs made their fourth quarter run to by-pass the mav's?????????

Explain to me how yesterdays game was, again, horribly officiated in favor of the home team???????

Are there black helicopter's hovering overhead???????? No.

Is there a conserted conspiracy theory out to get the Spurs?????? No.

Would Stern want the WHolesome Team Spurs to win another championship???? Probably Not.

The NBA is a business-----and Stern, will definately look to maximize profits---I'm sure his
compensation is in some way tied to profits, as it should be.

Would the media want the wholesome team Spurs win another championship???? Probably Not.

The print media likes sensationalism and contraversy to easier, sell stories---the Spurs are bland, blah.....or, how should I put it.....Oh Yeah-----Boring!!!!!

Is this treatment of the Spurs new???? No, this has been going on for quite sometime.
the SPurs are well hated ----for some reason-----like "They're not my favorite team"

It's a plain fact the Spurs are not a favorite team to the majority of people.

Is their a vested interest for anyone that the Spurs win another championship???????? Of course not.

The only vested interest come's from us, The Spurs fans.

So, who cares how the ref's call game's or that Dallas advances or that the Spurs win, or for that matter, any team win -----Detroit--Cleveland --SUns ???????

It's all about the money, it really is that simple! A seven game series makes more money and this will be a seven game series!

Also the NBA has a vested interest in games being close. A commercial purchased for the end of the game loses it's if a game is a blow-out.

All of the above is great for making money but horrible for the game! Fans are going to watch no matter what happens but the average person watching a game is going to see that the game is being manipulated and lose interest.

I know DFW is a bigger market than SA but I think the league really wants SA to win because of their push to go "global". It seems that the combined market of international countries plus SA's market would be vastly larger and more important to the NBA.

I know DFW is a bigger market than SA but I think the league really wants SA to win because of their push to go "global". It seems that the combined market of international countries plus SA's market would be vastly larger and more important to the NBA.

Actually no. Global market sucks because people overseas don't buy NBA related products nearly as often as Americans, they watch 'free' games (no NBATV, no courtside seats), etc. In a couple of decades, maybe NBA will have games played overseas but right now? It's basically useless except some clicks on NBA.com.